Amour
by Orphiucus
Summary: Hermione is accepted into Hogwarts Academy of Classical Arts for her Masters of Music in violin. There, she faces her only competitor, the greatest composer of the 21st Century, Tom Riddle. By proving her worth with her unique approach, she and Tom find themselves becoming enamored with the music they produce together and slowly...with each other.
1. Chapter 1

Hogwarts Academy of Classical Music Arts was a prestigious academy for all students who aspired to play at Carnegie Hall someday in their careers. It was a vital stepping stone for all the performing artists, singers, composers, violinists, orchestras and conductors to be able to have the golden opportunity to have the honor of laying in such a prestigious hall amongst the greatest artists in the history of classical performing arts. It had been Hermione Granger's dream for as long as she could remember to play the violin there. She had been three years old when her parents took her to watch Phillip Glass conduct his greatest symphony on her parents anniversary. And how madly had she fallen in love with the music. Hermione couldn't remember any other moment in her life from that day when she had felt something so strangely strong in her heart as that felt. It was etched deeply in her memory as the day her life had changed forever.

For her birthday the next week, her parents bought her a violin which she began taking classes for the very next day. As a young girl, she had the determination and resolve of someone who was out to avenge the death of their loved one. Hermione had worked hard as a child to overcome her flaws in her playing and learn to excel in playing the violin. She loved it. She loved her violin like she had never loved anything more in her life. The instrument had a way of bringing out an aspect of her that remained hidden from the world. In the confines of her room and her practice studio in school, she was able to lose herself to the sounds that her violin made. Which _she_ made. Her teachers loved her resilience in learning sheet music. She learned music by listening to it and then memorizing the sheet music. Rote learning sheet music wasn't something she did. For her, the secret lay in listening to the music. Listen to the recording before playing the piece. Years passed by, her friends changed, but never did her passion for the violin waver. Her parents moved from their comfortable and sweet home in Atlanta to the gorgeous and stunning city of New York. For her, this was a good thing. She was closer to her dream of going to Juilliard, of playing at Carnegie, of being the greatest violinist and composer of the 21st century, or working with all of her idols and learning from famous teachers whom she could only dream of before. She was now in the same city as them! This was nothing short of a wish come true for Hermione. Leaving behind her school didn't faze her at all. She was _ready_.

When the time arrived for college applications, Hermione had begun before anybody else. She went to The Baccalaureate School for Global Education in Long Island City. Regular with academics and the top of her class, Hermione excelled in everything. There was nothing that she couldn't do. She balanced her grades and the violin perfectly. But she secretly hated the distraction of homework with her playing. It inhibited her from practicing which drove her up the walls. It vexed her and made her restless when she was kept away from her precious violin for too long. She was glad to finally graduate; she no longer had to waste her precious time with math homework anymore. Hermione was free to practice her violin now. It didn't come as a surprise to her teachers and parents that she was accepted into Juilliard, but it did surprise her. Ecstatic with sheer, overwhelming joy and shock, Hermione didn't play her violin for a week when her acceptance letter arrived. She instead spent her time wandering the city, taking long strolls through Central Park, honing her senses to the sounds of the city. Music was all around her. She could feel the vibrations of the city all around her, every whistle of the wind that brushed past her ears softly went noticed by Hermione. She was the most peaceful then. The next four years were a beautiful dream that she lived. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Violin and knew where she had to go next. She had to go to Hogwarts for her Masters. And she did.

Exclusively for Masters in music, this school of music unique in its methods of teaching, private and incomparable to any other music academy in the entire world. The most well formed faculty the music industry has ever seen, Hogwarts was a musicians dream. And for Hermione, it was a dream that came true. Her summons for an audition came through in the fall the year she graduated and two weeks later, she flew out to London to give her audition. She didn't have any interactions with the other candidates for the program but she was shocked out of her wits when she walked out on the stage and saw that Albus Dumbledore alongside Minerva McGonagall, Amelia Bones and Filius Flitwick were seated in the audience for her performance. She chose a piece that she first heard when she was three years old.

Paganini Caprice No. 1.

She merely closed her eyes, corrected her posture and began to play. A flawless rendition. She didn't miss a single note. Each stroke of her bow against the strings of her violin was perfect to a degree of absolute shock. Her judges listened in silence, stunned at the perfection at which Hermione played. The tempo, the range everything was unparalleled by any other candidate they had seen. Once she was finished, Hermione slowly opened her eyes, trying to control the shaking of her legs, bowed respectfully to the admirable panel and swiftly walked off the stage. Once she confirmed she was out of view, Hermione let out a breathe she had been holding in for what felt like an hour.

On her way back to the hotel, Hermione thought about the expression on Albus Dumbledore's face when she bowed after her audition. It looked like he was conflicted over something. Something she hoped wasn't over her talent or the piece she chose to play. As far as she was concerned, she knew she didn't make any mistakes. But regardless, flaws didn't determine her acceptance into the academy. It was whether her music was heartfelt or not that would in the end decide her fate.

Two weeks later, she received her acceptance letter.

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 **A/N: Read and Review please! Let me know any thoughts you have on the story or the plot, I'll be delighted to help you out!**


	2. Chapter 2

The first day of classes began on the first of September. Hermione had moved into the university dorms a week before the commencement of classes in order to better settle in to her surroundings which was going to be her home now for the next four years. A few other students had arrived as early as she did, but she didn't have much interaction with them. For the first three days, Hermione was preoccupied with setting up her room. She made the bed the way she liked, cleaned the sheets, placed her clothes into the cupboard beside her bed and took out her violin to wax the bow. The dorms weren't what she expected at all. In fact, they were much better than she had imagined. She was alotted a single bedroom like she had asked for in her application. Her bathroom was spacious enough for two people and was equipped with a bathtub to which she was grateful. She took long steamy hot baths in it every night before bed. The room had a fireplace for winters and a lone window beside the study table which overlooked the lake beside the academy grounds. The floors inside the room where

She had discovered that there was a bathroom near the common room of their dormitory but hadn't gone to explore it yet. She went for long walks around the campus which was located in the countryside of Scotland. The fresh air, cold winds, the musky scent of the lake and the forest beside the campus filled Hermione with incredible joy. The days were warm out in the sun and pleasantly cool in the shades. The grounds of the academy were vast and breathtakingly beautiful as far as the eye could see.

On the fourth day after her arrival, Hermione managed to become acquainted with another student from her year. She ran into him while taking her usual long walks around the campus grounds after lunch before she headed up to her room to practice her violin. His name was Harry Potter and he also played the violin. She liked him instantly. He was the same age as her. A tall thin man with wild black hair, he was kind and soft spoken. His mother is the great singer Lilly Potter and his father is well known pianist James Potter. He came from a very talented family of classical musicians and she admired if not envied him for that. But there wasn't an ounce or even a shadow of boastfulness in the boy. As sweet and gentlemanly as they came, Harry was a funny and intelligent young man. She grew an instant liking to him and found herself spending time with him during breakfast, lunch and dinner. They took long walks around the grounds together discussing music they loved and sometimes even playing together. He enjoyed Bach and Schubert, she enjoyed Rachmaninov and Tachikovsky. They openly discussed and debated over controversial music compositions while good-naturedly having a laugh over dinner afterward. Their Headmaster- Albus Dumbledore who was always present with the rest of the teaching faculty during dinner- had recently joined them. She knew that he had just returned from the London Philharmonic after their autumn concert which he had brilliantly conducted. Their diner tables were separate however so Hermione wasn't able to strike up a conversation with the incredibly talented man...yet. Minerva McGonagall though, she manged to speak to. An older, stern woman, she had lines in her forehead from frowning too much but they didn't conceal the fact that she had alert and watchful eyes of a very perceptive woman. Hermione was taken with her. She listening attentively to everything McGonagall said with startling sincerity that could have been mistaken for being in love with the woman. Ever since she was a young girl, Hermione had listened obsessively to Minerva's unparalleled skills with the piano during her days in the London philharmonic orchestra.

Getting up from dinner table to head back to her room the fortnight before all the students were to arrive for the academic year, Professor McGonagall approached Hermione and Harry.

"Potter," she acknowledged Harry who was getting up from his chair across Hermione. She wasn't very surprised knowing that the two were acquainted. His parents were on close terms with the staff here after all. But what did surprise her was that the Professor did not approach their table to speak to Harry. Rather, she turned to look at Hermione. They were fairly the same height but Hermione instantly felt smaller under her intense gaze.

"Good evening Miss Granger," she said politely.

"Good evening Professor," Hermione answered back reflexively. "How may I help you?" Because clearly there was no reason why she would want to speak to someone like her. This was Minerva McGonagall.

"I was present for your audition in London," she began. "And I must say that was the the best Paganini I have heard anybody play. Nobody has ever quite perfected it like you have. I look forward to hearing more from you in class."

With those words, she nodded, bid them goodnight and left the dining hall.

Needless to say, Hermione went to bed that night feeling euphoric about Hogwarts and knew deep down in her heart she would have the most wonderful four years of her life here.

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The next morning, students began to arrive from different corners of the world. Hermione woke to the sounds of a commotion outside her dorm room that day. She could hear voices down the corridor from her room over a supposed commotion over room numbers. Heaving out of bed, she sent a silent prayer of thanks that she was allotted the single bedrooms before they were no longer available. There were quite a few girls outside judging by the sounds of it, but she did not open the door just yet. It was an hour before breakfast would be served, so she decided to meet Harry directly in the dining hall seeing as she was running late. She picked up her cellphone from the bedside table and dropped him a quick message informing him she would be waiting for him at their table. Moving to her small wardrobe, she picked out an all black attire for the day. The bath was running with hot water as she picked out her clothes and lay them on her bed, brushing her teeth. She had received a text message from her mother- who was up very early for New York time- wishing her best of luck for her welcoming ceremony. Mentally deciding to call her before stepping out of the room, Hermione spit out her tooth paste, rinsed her mouth, slid off her bathrobe and stepped into the bath. She put on Ave Maria on her music system and lounged back in the bathtub, catching a little power nap. But after fifteen minutes, she wasn't able to put her active mind to rest.

Annoyed, she stepped out of the bath, unplugging the stopper to flush down the water. She put on her bathrobe and stood in front of the mirror above the basin. Her hair were frizzing- an indication that she was anxious. There was a tight knot between her brows and her hands were restless. She desperately tried to understand what was causing her to feel so much on edge but her mind was at a loss. In a hurry to get out of the confines of her room, she got ready in a rush. She wanted to go explore Hogsmeade village a few kilometers away from the campus before everybody arrived for the ceremony tonight and she wanted to take along Harry with her. He knew more about Scotland than she did. She tried to tame her hair by blow drying them to submission; she was halfway successful. Maybe she would get a haircut today.

Putting on her black pants, a button up shirt and a black coat- still not used to the chill in the air this high up in the Northern Hemisphere, she stepped out of her room. As expected, there was quite the commotion. There were at least a dozen girls with suitcases and instrument cases of all shapes and sizes crammed into the narrow corridor, all talking at the same time. Locking her door came without a second thought. Squeezing herself to the wall, she somehow managed to step out without getting struck in the face by a concussion or poked in the eye by a rogue bow of a violin. She stumbled out to the common room of one of the several dorms inside this vast, castle like campus and nodded back to a few people who sent sheepish polite smiles her way. The dormitory was co-ed, she noticed without surprise. The entrance to the dormitory however, was packed. People were trying- to no avail- to wedge through large instruments at the same time as four others. Frowning, as an senior tried to sneakily push a young girl's oboe case aside with his foot in the doorway, she quietly helped the blonde girl, staring down at the boy. He turned his gaze away from her and the girl managed to squeeze through and thanked her gratefully. Hermione merely smiled.

When she made it out, she was very very surprised. The otherwise empty castle was now bustling with cheers as classmates greeted each other after a long summer, new students made timid introductions with reluctantly impressed glances exchanged between fellow competitors as they showed off their improved skills in their instruments. Hermione could vaguely hear Bach's Cello Suite No. in G Major being played somewhere. It was a very fast tempo and tainted with flaws at every fourth note. It pained her ears to listen to it.

Harry was at the table before her.

"Good morning," she smiled at him. Her hands were still very fidgety.

"Good morning," he greeted back with a wide smile. "Slept well?" He grinned, referring to McGonagall's compliment to Hermione last night at dinner.

She had completely forgotten about that. But it brought a huge smile to her face and her anxiety instantly disappeared.

"Yes," she giggled. "I slept very well, thank you for asking."

"Suddenly the halls seem so crowded, don't they? Difficult to imagine only last night we had the entire place to ourselves." He must have noticed the same thing a she did today morning. "I saw a few old classmates of mine from school who are in the same dorm as you. I think I'll introduce you to them sometime later."

She nodded. "Sure, I'd appreciate that. Harry, I was going to head into Hogsmeade today. Would you like to come along? We can buy some supplies for the school year and maybe catch lunch there if you want-"

"Bloody hell, yes," he interrupted her with a look of relief dawning on his face. "If I have to go back to my dorm with all those people I will suffocate. You are lucky you applied early and got that single bedroom Hermione. Do NOT take it for granted.".

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There was a comfortable silence between the two as they walked down to the village after breakfast. They had been talking for a good half an hour as the walked by the lake but soon, she was too preoccupied with the beautiful scenery that Harry kindly gave her some time to admire the tress and luscious nature that surrounded. He knew she was not used to this, coming from New York and all. It was her first time in Scotland, even though her mother was from England. Her parents had met in dentist school in Oxford where they lived together for ten years before they moved to America when her father got a job there in Atlanta. She was born soon after that.

September in Scotland was beautiful, summarized Hermione. _This is where she was going to live?_ It was too good to be true! She let out a mental squeal, not bothering to remain calm and refined about this anymore. Less than 1% of applicants who apply to Hogwarts are selected for their programs! It's one the best and most exclusive education schools in the entire world! It had been number one for as long as she can remember! How is it possible to not be excited by that!?

They walked into a clothing store that was supposedly for Hogwarts students to buy formal clothes for concerts. Harry was browsing through some suits and tuxedos while Hermione allowed herself to get lost in the several fabrics and colors of dresses that were currently evading her senses. She fell in love with a gorgeous white strapless dress that was embroidered with lace around the bust and tapering down to the waist. The satin felt like butter to her fingers. She was in love. Never mind men. All she needed was this gorgeous dress. Never mind it looked like something a bride would wear on her wedding day. She wanted this dress.

Hermione somehow managed to pull herself away from the gorgeous piece of art and found Harry. He seemed to be in a similar state as hers.

They walked alongside each other and stepped into another store that sold supplies for their instruments. She bought rosin wax, mutes, bowing aid, replacement parts, fingerboard tapes, tailpiece adjuster, bow cleaning kit, chin rest pads and shoulder rest replacement screws. The nice lady at the billing counter smiled at the two of them knowingly and gave them a discount which Hermione realized later on as she scrutinized the bill at the bar where they had stopped for some food.

"Harry!" she exclaimed.

"What?"

"She gave us a 15% discount!"

"Huh?" he said, dumbly.

"The woman at the utilities store, she gave us a 15% discount because she thought we were on a date," she showed him the bill, pointing to the end where the discount was mentioned in italics.

"Well, I'm not really complaining. I don't mind a discount if you ask me, even if its because of a misunderstanding," he shrugged it off.

She silently thought that the next time she came here, she would tip the lady for the amount that she wavered off this time. She didn't like to be indebted to somebody. When they finally decided to head to a grocery store to buy some late night snacks, Harry got a call on his cell phone. He excused himself and stepped out of the store to talk to someone who sounded an awful lot like his mother. Hermione smiled and browsed the aisles, looking at different brands of coffee and some oatmeal biscuits for herself and Harry. To this day, she wonders what would have happened if she had not looked up from her cart to find him standing in front of her, his gaze set at her. Would things have been different if she had not looked up at all and moved to the next aisle without turning around? But sadly, she would never know as when she looked up, Hermione found herself blushing under the intense gaze of a very very handsome man. She did not know who he was or whether he lived in the village or was from Hogwarts like her and Harry or maybe even a tourist. She knew nothing about him at all and it was the first time she had ever laid eyes on him. But oh boy was he beautiful. His blonde hair were casually brushed back his strong angular face with an ease that oozed sex appeal. He was an incredibly good looking man. And she used the word man because that's exactly what he was. She had seen a lot of boys today in Hogwarts but oh dear this man here...

She looked down instantly when they made eye contact, her cheeks heated.

Merlin, why was she suddenly trying to remember the last time she had sex?!

She quickly grabbed a random packet off the aisle beside her and moved to wheel her cart out of there. She could feel him still staring at her and it made her very uncomfortable. _What was he thinking? Did he think her hair looked hideous from behind? God she shouldn't have left them down today. Bloody hell she's going to get a haircut straight away, the minute she steps out of this shop._

When she was safely present two aisles away from that man she allowed herself to let go of a breath she'd been holding in. She knew this was probably going to be one of those scenarios where she would develop a random crush on a stranger she is likely to never see again and fantasize in her mind about what it would be like if she could ever be with them. She subtly managed a glance over her shoulder to halfheartedly check if he had followed her and squealed internally when she saw him turn the corner to the row she was in. She flipped her neck straight ahead to quickly which caused her to cramp it. Hermione winced in pain and moved to rub the knot at the back of her neck all the while completely aware of the place where the blonde man stared at her back. His gaze felt like it was burning holes in her back.

 _Oh dear lord, where was Harry?_

A part of her hoped he never showed up. Maybe then this handsome man would approach her...ask her her name...if he knew her from somewhere...

 _Knew her from somewhere..._

 _Knew her from somewhere?_

Instantly, she felt like a stupid idiot for behaving the way she did. Why would a devastatingly gorgeous man stare at the way he was unless he had mistaken her for someone else? He had probably realized it by now and was grimacing at the very idea of being attracted to her. Shaking the silliness out of her head, she strode ahead, her chin in the air with whatever dignity she had left, completely ignoring the man behind her and went to the cashier to pay for her purchases. Stepping into line, she smiled at the elderly man at the counter.

"Hogwarts folks?" He asked as he picked up her sanitary pad and scanned the bar code.

"Yup," she nodded. "Just getting some supplies before the year starts." She made small talk politely, simultaneously picking up other items from her cart. Something moved in her periphery and as reflex she looked up- fully expecting to see Harry but saw that same blonde man again, pulling up behind her in the line.

They made eye contact again and this time she noticed how purposefully he looked at her. She knew this look. It wasn't one of someone who had mistaken her for a stranger. He was literally _staring_ at her. She felt a blush rise onto her cheeks again. His presence made her very uncomfortable. The coat she was wearing was suddenly smothering her. She needed to take it off or she would faint right here.

"What instrument do you play?"

"Huh?"

"Instrument...at Hogwarts," it took her a few seconds to realize it was the cashier talking to her and not the man behind her.

"OH," She blushed furiously. "Uh, the violin sir. I play the violin. I go to Hogwarts and I play the violin. I'm a violinist."

"That's wonderful. My youngest son is learning to play the violin. I'm sure he isn't nearly as good as you but one day the lad'll get there."

Hermione nodded along to whatever he was saying even if she paid no attention to the words. She was silently cursing the amount of groceries she'd picked out because he was taking ages with the billing; the more time passed the more she could feel _his_ eyes digging holes in her back.

"Albus comes here sometimes, always to buy candy that man. He has a serious sweet tooth. Always that lemon drop candy in the sweet section- card please- and such a nice man-"

She tuned him out, fidgeting with her purse and trying not to look behind her.

"What about you, son?" The man finally turned to the man behind her who had begun to place his groceries on the platform. She saw to her absolute surprise, he had picked up a packet on condoms. The large one. Well it makes sense. Someone as good looking as him will surely be having sex quite frequently. It was only fair. "Do you go to Hogwarts as well?"

There was a short pregnant silence before he answered. And when he did his voice caused shivers up and down her spine.

"I do."

Short, crisp. He meant business.

"What do you play?"

"The cello. It's my first year as well."

That caused her eyebrows to imperceptibly raise. So he was in the same year as her. And he played the cello. Which means...she'll most probably be seeing more of him in university. Oh dear just when she thought that it would be much better if she never saw him again.

"Well, there ya go honey. Have a nice day love-"

She grabbed her bags, the bill and her credit card, sent a frisk response and practically ran out of the store, making absolutely sure she did not look behind her, no matter what.


	3. Chapter 3

She met Harry in a valley beside the store. He was still on the phone, sounding very aggravated and stressed. She cautiously stood a few feet away- not wanting to intrude on his privacy while he was on the phone. They did not know each other well enough yet to be so comfortable. Also, the British had a way about them which the Americans didn't. Like the man inside, for being British he did seem to stare at her quite rudely, now that she thought about it.

Harry raised a finger once he saw her, gesturing he would be a minute more. She smiled and nodded, checking her own phone meanwhile. She did call her mother today before leaving her room. Her mother was awake early since she set an alarm to wish her daughter the best of luck. Hermione was touched. Her father had spoken to her as well, telling her he was so proud of her and that they missed her already. She smiled in recall, her heart filled with joy. Once he was done, Harry huffed and approached her.

"Sorry about that, my mother gets worried sometimes- a lot of the time, actually," he sheepishly admitted. "Being an only child and all, I s'pose."

She nodded in understanding. "I'm an only child too. I just spoke to my mother today morning and she said she wished I were back home because it's so lonely there for her all by herself until I reminded her that she has a husband."

He laughed and they chatted lightly all the way back to the campus, only stopping on the way by a candy store to buy chocolates. While she maintained casual and light conversation, in the back of her mind, Hermione kept thinking about that blonde man at the shop. She had a feeling in her gut that bothered her- like she had seen him before. It struck her much later when they were walking by the lake once again. That there was something about him- besides his devastating good looks- that caused him to be on her mind. His gray eyes forced her to ask herself the question- _do I know him from somewhere?_ There wasn't a lack of good-looking individuals that pranced around New York nor was this the first time she was being acquainted with a member of the opposite sex who was so physically gifted. It was the simple fact that the way he looked at her- which she did not realize that very moment since she rather preoccupied by the striking and fashionable way his hair looked, causing a handsome contrast between his mildly tanned skin and pale hair.

 _Maybe I saw him once somewhere._

As she walked along the cobbled pathway back to Hogwarts with Harry, the sunlight was brilliantly reflected by the lake, casting a blinding shine around the landscape. The light reflected off of Harry's glasses as they chatted. The trees gave of a floral smell in the air indicating the beginning of Spring. Minuscule flowers budded in thick bushed surround the periphery of the lake, birds chirping noisily in the distance as if they were a gathering of women during tea and the soft, scented and gentle breeze that rustled the leaves of magnificent trees in the forest around them. She heard that were deers, rabbits, puffins, adders and many more that dwell within its mysterious depths.

Hogwarts was beautiful. _As are the men that go here_ , a voice in the back of her smugly commented.

She flushed.

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By lunch, around ninety percent of the entire student population had arrived. The halls were crowded with people from every corner of the world and music was flowing from every classroom she walked past. She did not see the blonde man during lunch in the castle which made her wonder maybe he had decided to have lunch in Hogsmeade. _Perhaps with a lady friend of his..._

She shook her head, dismissing that girlish thought. Silly Hermione. As promised, Harry had introduced her to a few of friends from his days in school. They weren't many, like had assumed here would be, but regardless it caused her feel self conscious about her hair. She kept fiddling with the ends of the strands, twirling them around her finger like a besotted schoolgirl when he introduced her to a tall redheaded boy. He politely extended his hand to her, his gaze wandering around her face before resting on her eyes.

"Ronald Weasley," he said, a friendly smile on his face. He played the trumpet, something she wasn't surprised considering his great height as he towered above her and his broad chest.

She shook his hands which were surprisingly large and drowned her own tiny ones in his strong grip. "Hermione Granger. I play the violin."

He raised his dark red eyebrows. "Wait a moment...didn't you attend Juillaird? I saw your performance with the orchestra at Central Park for the Spring Concerto. Bloody hell, you're talented aren't you? Quite a feisty player. I loved it."

She flushed under his gaze. He had lovely blue eyes. "Oh, it was nothing. I worked with a very good composer. He was the reason behind everything, I really can't say I would have performed well if it wasn't for him, really- why are you laughing?"

"You're so modest!" Ron did not bother hiding his wide grin at her words. He was impressed by how soft-spoken and grounded she seemed- compared to her stunning performance he saw that spring. He was charmed by her personality. She seemed quite bossy at first look.

"O-oh...Uh..hehe, well,' she weakly smiled, trying to hide her blush behind her large hair. "Really, you're too kind. But I will still insist it was my composer."

"Have it your way then, but I'm pretty sure everybody here knows you're definitely very talented. Better watch out, eh Harry?" he jokingly elbowed Harry beside him, ruffling his hair. "Don't let her smallness make you overconfident, now. We know there's going to be a run for Dumbledore's favorite this year. Although none of us will ever be able to surpass Riddle. Being the star pupil and all. I won't even bother trying."

Her eyes widened to the size of saucers. Harry gasped beside her.

"Whoa. What did you say? Riddle goes here?!"

Ron looked at the both of them like they had gone silly in the head.

"Y-yeah...didn't you know? He's a third year now..."

Hermione's mind tuned him out. She felt so stupid. So ridiculously stupid. Tom Marvolo Riddle. A man she had admired, who's compositions she listened to tirelessly every night in Juilliard when she needed inspiration. The greatest mind in the 21st century. She felt her hands get clammy. She had always wanted to meet him. She never knew...she never knew he still went to school! Oh, this was a dream come true! She had heard stories about him. How his very presence made music flow through the room, how hearing him play in person was like witnessing a miracle come to life in front of ones eyes. She had always imagined him to be much older, but hearing that he went to school shrouded this man in more mystery than her blonde haired man.

"Neither of you knew?" Ron asked, incredulous.

Harry shook his head. "I thought he was in Vienna. I didn't know he was back in England. And I thought he graduated an year early...but I never knew he was still here. But he hardly ever is though, right? I mean, he's always traveling for his concertos. So even if he is here, it's hardly likely that we'll be seeing a lot of him. We may not even see him until New Years. And that's if we're lucky."

Ron nodded solemnly at those words. But Hermione's heart was already sinking deeper than the Titanic. _After New Years?_ That was almost never. She might never see him. He was known to be a recluse. But he was a world famous celebrity after all so it made sense that he would want time to himself here in the middle of nowhere in Scotland. In Hogwarts. Where she went to school as well. She sighed, feeling forlorn. Ron sensed that.

"Hey, maybe you can see him today at dinner, don't give up just yet."

That raised her hopes once again and she brightly smiled.

She spent a few minutes down near the Entrance Hall talking to Harry and Ron before she excused herself to head upstairs and arrange her newly purchased groceries into small drawers in her room. Her trip to her dorm involved her being slapped in the face by a distressed harpist instrument, yelling at an trombone player who emptied his spit valve on her boots and snapping at someone who asked her where the lavatory was located because her temper was running short. Hermione passed a group of girls who were excitedly tittering about their good fortune of being blessed that Hogwarts had co-ed dorms. She discreetly rolled her eyes at that. She trip to her room after stepping inside the dorm entrance was almost a run with her large bag. She did not want to talk to anybody just yet.

She wanted to practice the violin. Her chest felt odd, a feeling that always alleviated after playing the violin.

She stepped into her room, walked to her bed where the violin lay and began to play Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D Major. She poured her heart into the violin, striking each note with a heaviness in her heart she couldn't describe. _Why I am suddenly so sad?_ Was it fear? Did the music in the halls as she walked back strike envy through her heart? She felt doubt in her talent as a violinist. As a person. That her being selected here was a huge mistake. She did not belong here.

She can't play nearly as well as some of the students here. Hermione swam deeper into these thoughts, her heart become heavier which each note. The violin portrayed that emotion. It sung about the sadness in her heart, how lonely she felt her whole life. That finding friends had always been difficult for her. She played out her sadness until none of it was left inside her. She played about her emotions and her violin listened to her cry with a patient and empathetic smile. It absorbed her sorrow and gave her warmth. She did not realize how long she had been playing until she opened her eyes and looked out the window. The sun was setting in the horizon. And her heart felt light again.

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The start of term banquet began at half past seven. All students assembled down in the Great Hall where she and Harry had been having their meals for the past week. Hermione, Harry and Ron found themselves seat in one of the four large tables arranged parallel to each other in the Great Hall. Up in the hall, another table facing the four large tables was for teaching faculty only. She saw Professor Dumbledore and McGonagall talking to each other as she sat down between Ron and Harry. Their dinner was already present on their tables when they arrived. She was pleasantly surprised about this. She absentmindedly wondered about who made this food but then felt stupid when she realized of course Hogwarts would have a cooking staff. She grabbed a juicy looking green apple and bit into it. Perhaps it was because it had been a long time since but this was the delicious apple she had eve eaten her whole life. Within a few minutes, students filled the room.

Hermione leaned to the side to ask Ron if he had seen Tom Riddle when suddenly, the sound of a chair being pulled back in front of her halted the words out of her mouth midway and she looked up. That blonde man from the grocery store just sat down in front of her. Hermione's face began to turn an alarming shade of red as she shuffled in her seat and tried to hide her face behind her hair. She adjusted the lapels of her coat such that it covered the lower half of her face.

"Cold, are you?" Ron asked, staring at her face hidden behind thick brown hair.

She blushed harder when she realized that the man in front turned to stare. She deliberately tried to ignore him even though she felt his stare burn through her.

 _Oh dear, why does he have to pick this seat above all others?_ She wailed in her mind. Hermione had an inkling that he would soon become a major distraction for her while she's in Hogwarts.

Her mind was fortunately diverted as Albus Dumbledore stood up from his eat and addressed the hall of students who were string at him.

"Good evening and Welcome! Welcome to a the start-of-term banquet at Hogwarts. Welcome back to our older students of course and I heartily hope that you had a great summer. But now lets get down to a few important notices that I have been asked to inform you by our caretaker Argus Filch. Students are notified that the third floor corridor on the right is strictly for orchestra practice for selected members only. Those found loitering will face punishable consequences. Classes for all first year students will commence on the fifth floor and your timetables will be handed out to you at breakfast tomorrow. Bon appetite!"

Every student in the hall broke the silence with eager chatter and the sound of clicking spoons and forks soon followed. Hermione began eating her dinner, determinedly avoiding catching the eye on someone in front of her. Ron was talking to her and Harry with his mouth full of food.

"I'll have practice in the morning that's for sure. I just hope we get once class together. That'll be nice don't you think? We can even auditions for the orchestra together. Won't it be really amazing if we all got in?"

Orchestra try outs?

That piqued Hermione's interest. She quietly nodded along, slowly eating her food. The man in front of her had struck up conversation with his neighbor seating beside him.

"I didn't know Riddle was back so soon," said a dark skinned man beside him.

"He came in today afternoon."

"I heard he's in your dorm."

There was a pause before he answered. "Yeah he is."

Hermione felt jealous. She wanted to be in the same dorm as Tom Riddle. She turned to ask Harry to pass some lamb chops whens he saw he was eavesdropping on the conversation as well. Both of them shared a mischievous smile. She inwardly wished the man did not remember her from the grocery store. She tried her hardest to not him catch a sight of her. Hermione ruffled her hair so that it was impossible to see her entire face. Halfway through dinner, she stopped listening into the conversation the blonde man across from her was having and started to observe the students around her. There were many well known faces around the hall. She recognized Luna Lovegood, the flutist who had her audition before Hermione. She wasn't surprised to find her here. She played excellently.

Soon, dinner came to an end and Hermione stood up from her chair, waiting for Harry and Ron to clear up the last of their remaining dessert when Harry called out rather loudly, "Hermione, would you mind if I borrowed your rosin wax? I forgot to buy mine today."

From the corner of her eye she saw the blonde haired man sharply look up from his plate and stare at her as she blushed behind all her hair. She gave a brisk affirmative answer and said she would wait for them at the Entrance Hall outside once they were done and quickly turned on her heel to leave. She heard a chair scrape as it was roughly pushed behind as she rushed out.

 _He's not coming after you, no. He probably has to go to the loo or something. He's definitely not following, don't be silly,_ she kept reminding herself.

She had just walked past the doors out into the Entrance Hall away from everyone when she heard her name being called out in that sinfully deep, velvety voice she had been silently listening to all dinner. She reluctantly stopped in her tracks and took a deep breath before turning around to look at the blonde man. He was as devastatingly gorgeous as he had been today morning. His hair were slightly ruffled because of how he kept running his hands through it all dinner. When he saw her face, he exhaled heavily.

"Hermione," he said, sounding relieved.

"Do I know you?" she said, trying to sound indifferent and a tad bit suspicious.

"I thought it was you today morning but you had changed so much I thought I was imagining you," he said. "Can't imagine you'll remember me, of course. I was very different back then. A big git and a bully."

Her heart skipped a beat.

It struck her like a ton of bricks. All at once, Hermione remembered a certain boy from her childhood. A time when she was barely eleven and went to school in London, a few months before her family immigrated to the States. There had been a boy in her class. A boy she hated. A boy who bullied her for her bushy hair and her teeth. For the way she dressed and talked to the way she acted in class. Draco Malfoy. While she had hated him, she wished she was as talented as him. Someone who came from such an affluent family, who was everything with music she wasn't. Who always received the same amount of praise for his music as her-if not more. She never thought she would see him again. the last time she had saw Malfoy was the day he told her he liked her as a man liked a woman.

"Malfoy," she breathed. "You-I...I never thought I'd see you again."

He gave a weak laugh. "Me neither, although I never stopped wishing that someday we would meet again."

If her face had been pink before, it was certainly a beetroot now. _He thought about me for ten years. Ten years. He remembers me._

"It's...It's nice to see you here," she said lamely. She wanted to hear him say it. She needed to hear the words directly to believe it.

"I-yeah. Yeah it is. I never thought I would get the chance to say this but...you look beautiful, Granger. You've changed so much from the last time we saw each other and I've always wanted to apologize for what a git I was to you back then-"

"Oh, it's alright," she smiled through her madly thumping heart. "We were children-it hardly matters now. It was ten years ago, Malfoy. We all makes mistakes. And you look really good too, I mean you always looked exceptionally great but perhaps that was because I had a enormous crush on you but you're very handsome, Malfoy-" her eyes widened in horror when she realized the words that were tumbling out of her mouth without any filter whatsoever. _Did I just say that I had a crush on him? Did I just call him exceptionally handsome? Someone shoot me now, please._

She wanted to die right there.

Malfoy was staring at her wide shocked, wide gray eyes like she had given birth to a litter of kittens in front of him. Hermione hastened to correct herself but she was interrupted by him. He had a small, satisfied smile on his handsome face.

"I really liked you too."

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 **A/N: Hey, sorry for the late update! Editing this chapter took quite some time and I kept adding some things along the way which seemed to be missing. I'm sorry if it seems like I'm beating around the bush before introducing Tom into the story. I want there to be a mild love triangle situation here that affects Hermione's music before I bring in Tom. Not to mention writing has become so difficult since I've read Root Of Desire by Megii of Mysteri OusStranger. You guys, go check the story out on . It is so beautifully written and I've always wanted to write something like that. Maybe once I finish this story I'll write a Time Travel fic. Heck I might just start writing one now since the idea isn't leaving me alone. Anyway, drop a review! Love hearing from you all!**


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